The Blue Jays have made a concerted effort to target Canadian talent in the last few years. Before the draft, the organization was carrying eight players with Canadian ties: Adam Macko, Damiano Palmegiani, Dasan Brown, Nic Deschamps, Connor O’Halloran, Sam Shaw, Bryce Arnold, and Owen Gregg.
Toronto added two more Canucks in the 2025 draft, selecting fourth-rounder Micah Bucknam (Abbotsford, B.C.) and fifth-rounder Tim Piasentin (Coquitlam, B.C.), who sat down with Blue Jays Nation to discuss his draft process.
The Blue Jays inked Piasentin to a $747,500 signing bonus, nearly a quarter of a million dollars over the slot amount ($503,800). The third baseman grew up playing for the Coquitlam Reds program before attending Foothills Composite High School in Alberta and joining the Okotoks Dawgs of the WCBL. The infielder is known for his power hitting from the left side, although he sees himself as somebody who can contribute in several ways.
Piasentin’s player profile should have Blue Jays fans dreaming of his potential
“I feel like I’m an all-around good hitter,” said Piasentin, speaking with Blue Jays Nation. “I know how to go up there and look to do damage and look to play to my strengths, which is obviously my power. But I can hit for contact as well.”
Oftentimes, when position players are drafted out of high school, it’s unclear what position they will ultimately settle into. The six-foot-three infielder has the versatility to play many different spots, but his likely home as a pro is at the hot corner.
“I love playing third. It’s my favourite position on the field. I feel like I’ve been playing infield my whole life, so I’m just used to being on the dirt, being at third. And I like the longer throw. But I mean, whatever the team needs. I can play pretty much anywhere else on the field, but I do like third the most.”
Piasentin played with the Canadian Junior National Team under the tutelage of recent Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Greg Hamilton. The 18-year-old was committed to the University of Miami before being drafted by the Blue Jays, and he credits Hamilton with helping him decide on his path forward through the process.
“He’s a great coach; he knows what he’s talking about and he’s been around the game for a long time,” said Piasentin, speaking of Hamilton. “And I mean, he’s helped give me lots of insight into the pro route versus the college route. He’s impacted a lot of my baseball games. He’s helped me with my hitting, with my defense, with everything over the past two years that he’s been coaching me.”
Tim Piasentin absolutely nuking balls at the Blue Jays futures academy last September 😮💨
Not bad for a 5th rounder! 👀
— Bodog (@BodogCA) July 14, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Piasentin had the opportunity to attend both the 2023 and 2024 Canadian Futures Showcase tournaments, winning the home run derby in the most recent installment. He also showcased his skills during spring training in Arizona, where he was able to demonstrate his abilities in front of major league scouts.
“I knew what I was able to do, but I don’t think very many other people did. So that just gave me a very good opportunity to go out there and show some scouts what I’m capable of and go from there.”
Piasentin has the opportunity to eventually represent Canada in multiple ways
Although playing for the University of Miami would have been a great experience in its own right, Piasentin explains that as a Canadian-born player, joining the Blue Jays organization was a no-brainer after hearing his name called in the draft.
“It’s always been my goal to go play pro baseball,” explained Piasentin. “Having an opportunity to do it with my home team with the Blue Jays is an opportunity I can’t really pass up. Playing for the Toronto Blue Jays is everything I’ve ever wanted. The opportunity to be in this organization as a Canadian is amazing.”
Although the teenager is several years away from contributing at the major league level, he has a chance to contribute for the Blue Jays’ high-A affiliate, the Vancouver Canadians, within the next couple of years. Fellow British Columbian infielder Sam Shaw was also drafted out of high school back in 2023 and debuted with the Canadians this past July. That may put Piasentin on track to play games at Nat Bailey Stadium by 2027, a place he’s no stranger to.
“I’ve been quite a few times. I’ve been to a lot of games at Nat Bailey Stadium over my younger years,” said Piasentin. “It’s a great atmosphere there. And I mean, watching those guys, I always wanted to be there and play at that level. Nowadays, that’s feeling way more realistic.”
Although he’s represented Canada internationally before, having the chance to play for his country in the World Baseball Classic eventually is something that Piasentin is very much interested in doing.
“It’s always an honour to represent my country,” said Piasentin. “Just like in 2024, when I represented the Junior National Team in Panama, that was a huge deal for me. So any future times where I may be able to represent Canada again, it would be an amazing honour and I would love to do that.”
Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.